Andy Townsend slams Fabian Balbuena for red card in West Ham clash v Chelsea
Andy Townsend slammed Fabian Balbuena’s challenge on Ben Chilwell that earned the West Ham defender a red card versus Chelsea on Saturday.
The Paraguayan was only making his first Irons start since January 23 as deputy to Craig Dawson who was himself handed his marching orders last week against Newcastle United.
But he failed to last the distance at the London Stadium after the VAR asked referee Chris Kavanagh to take a second look at his initial decision, and he adjudged his foul on the England international to amount to excessive force.
Speaking during live commentary of the match on talkSPORT, the ex-Chelsea midfielder said it was the right call by the VAR and Kavanagh.
“That’s a nasty challenge that one, when you slow it down it looks horrific, it looks horrendous,” he said.
“I can absolutely understand why that’s a red card.
“David Moyes is furious, he’s absolutely seething down there.”
Are we surprised anymore?
That’s two weeks in a row that our game has been dictated by a red card decision.
Dawson didn’t have much of a leg to stand on last week, but this was more of an abomination.
Perhaps we shouldn’t be too shocked given the presence of VAR and how challenges in modern football are usually picked apart if there’s any slight contact.
But this still appeared so harsh as Balbuena made contact with the ball, what was he supposed to do? Just leave it?
We’re rapidly losing faith with football and who can blame us after that decision, the game is becoming a farce.
The laws need to be addressed to stop decisions like this from occurring again.
In other West Ham news, Trevor Sinclair shares what he’s heard about Tammy Abraham amid Irons transfer speculation.
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